


Dark Sword

by Jaina



Category: Star Wars: New Jedi Order Era - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2004-08-10
Updated: 2004-08-10
Packaged: 2017-11-05 09:09:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/404691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaina/pseuds/Jaina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Dark!Jaina story set after Star By Star.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Go now.

_Anakin, I can't!" Jaina commed._

_Anakin raised the detonator so that his brother and sister could see._ Thirty seconds.  _He released the trigger._  Take her, Jacen. Kiss Tahiri for me...

_Anakin used the Force to nudge the sphere away, then caught an amphistaff in the ribs and went down hard, letting his lightsaber fall from his hand. His aura was only a faint glow, flickering between dim and nonexistent. The maelstrom inside was dying away now, flowing back into the Force._

Anakin was gone.

... _.Jacen laid a hand on her knee, hoping his touch might serve as her anchor._

" _We can't give up. We still need to destroy the queen."_

_Jaina looked up, a faint spark of presence finally showing in her vacant eyes. "You left him to the Yuuzhan Vong."_

" _We had to," Jacen said, accepting the rebuke. As much as he himself was hurting, he would rather Jaina lay the blame boiling up inside her on his own shoulders than her own. "They were all over him. You saw that."_

_Jaina pushed his hand from her leg. "He put you in charge, and you left him behind."_

... _.Jaina felt someone watching and turned to find Vergere staring at her from the shelter of a nearby archway, Anakin's lightsaber dangling from one hand and her narrow eye angled in what seemed a peculiar expression of dismay. Jaina sneered at the creature, then raised her hand and loosed another bolt of Force lightning..._

_Alema came to Jaina's side and, somewhat tentatively, took her by the arm. "We'd better go."_

_Jaina knocked her arm away and started to run. There was no where Vergere could go that Jaina couldn't find her and no speed that she could go that Jaina wouldn't match. She would die..._

_Jaina ran and ran, never stopping. Any Vong that got in her way were promptly moved aside with Force lightning. She rounded a corner and slammed back into the wall. Her vision and consciousness went dark. Vergere..._

_There came a terrible thunder overhead, a firestorm so bright it lit the darkness behind Jacen's closed eyelids. He heard a voice calling- a voice that he had known all his life._

" _Jacen?" A pause, frantic and demanding. "Jacen, answer me!"_

_A delicate hand, brushed back his hair and he opened his eyes to look into a beautiful familiar face. Tenel Ka._

" _It's okay. You're on board the ship now. We're leaving. We have too."_

" _Jaina?" His voice was desperate and hoarse._

_She shook her head once, decisively. "Gone."_

Jaina Solo gasped, and screamed until her throat was raw. She was alive. She was awake and she was in the Embrace of Pain.


	2. Beginnings

Her entire universe was pain. She could feel or think of nothing else. The sensation haunted her. Anakin's face floated in front of her. He was the only thing that she could focus on because he was a part of the pain. She had failed him. He was dead because of her. For a moment, she ceased her writhing struggles within the Embrace of Pain, and surrendered to it, wishing for death, for anything that would make her forget.

And then Anakin's shimmering form leaned in close to her and whispered one word into her ear.  _Jacen._

It sent a new and different kind of agony through Jaina. He was responsible. Anakin had put him in charge and he had left Anakin, his own brother, to die. Rage surged through Jaina, totally blocking out all of her recognition of the pain that she was in as her rage consumed her. It was the best, the most clear headed that Jaina had felt since before the mission to Myrkr. The Force flowed effortlessly through her.

"No."

It was gone in an abrupt instant. Pain flooded back into her consciousness, but it was less. Or maybe she was getting used to it again, but instead of getting worse as it had before, it remained as it was. A thin harsh clawed opposable digit stroked her face and Jaina tried in vain to jerk back from it.

The grip tightened from searching to forceful in an instant. "Any Force sensitive can use rage to access the Dark Side. You are not worthy of that power or any other. You are dead to it all, little one. Your family and friends all mourn your passing. No one will come to save you. What will you do now?"

Fear surged through Jaina. She had been in many deadly situations before, but none like this. The reality of her imminent death screamed in the front of her mind and a bitter smile curved over her lips. Good. Death would be welcome. She could see Anakin again and her failure would no longer hang over her, haunting her every moment. Her twin, the other half of her soul, had betrayed her by letting Anakin die. She had nothing left to live for.

Jaina jerked her wrists apart, causing the Embrace of Pain to tighten, and she screamed through her hoarse, raw throat as pain consumed her again in incomprehensible waves. Physical pain was a temporary oblivion from other more horrible pains. Oblivion was bliss.

* * *

 

Jacen Solo stood without a word, a tear sliding down his cheek as he gazed down at the body of his little brother. He alone of his siblings would return to his parents. He would be the one to tell them how their other two children had died, even if he couldn't even comprehend it himself. Alema's account of Jaina's actions in pursuit of Anakin's body had troubled him. All of that had fled from his mind, however, as he had felt Jaina's presence simply disappear from the Force. Only Tenel Ka's solid presence beside him had anchored him back to sanity.

Jacen stepped towards Anakin's body and knelt down, wrapping an arm around Tahiri's impossibly slender shoulders. He couldn't leave her here alone. Anakin had wanted him to take care of Tahiri and he wouldn't have let Anakin down again.

Tahiri didn't seem to even notice him as she reached a shaky hand out to brush a piece of Anakin's dark brown hair off of his forehead and let her fingers trail down him cheek. She leaned over slowly and hesitated for a long moment before she pressed a kiss to his cold, unresponsive lips. As she straightened back up, he started to lead her out of the chamber. A brief look of panic flickered over her face.

"I can't leave him here alone," she said, with a quick glance up to meet his eyes before her eyes settled back on Anakin's body.

It took Jacen a moment to find his voice. "We need to go find someone to get him out of here. He'll be okay," Jacen tried to reassure her, almost choking on the words. Anakin was certainly not okay and it seemed as if nothing would be okay for a very long time.

Tahiri, however, seemed to find something his words because she allowed him to lead her towards the exit to the small chamber. With one last lingering look at her dead love, Tahiri stepped out of the chamber in front of Jacen. Tenel Ka met them there. The signs of grief were equally visible on the face of the tall warrior princess—a grief for all of the missing friends—but there was also strength in the way that she stood.

Jacen was grateful for that strength. He had relied on Tenel Ka's strength so many times, and she would not let him down when he truly needed her the most. Tenel Ka moved to stand on the other side of Tahiri without a word, and together the three young Jedi walked towards the exit of the Vong ship.

Jacen flinched as they stepped out into the bright Hapan sunshine. It was only a matter of time before the first speeder had arrived on the scene to take away Anakin's body. His remains had just been brought out of the vessel when a second speeder stopped in front of them. Han and Leia stepped out of the airspeeder and Jacen almost crumpled.


	3. Discoveries

Jaina wasn't screaming.

The silence echoed around her as she lay limply on the floor, unable to even gather the energy to gag at the stench of the filth on the floor. The pattern of her breathing didn't even change as the sound of light footsteps began to approach. She knew, even without the Force, that it was Vergere who approached her. It was the only sound that she had heard besides her own screams for an interminable amount of time. Jaina noted the lessening of light as Vergere stood over her.

"Stand." The word was spoken without anger or insistence, but was full of a powerful conviction that her command would be obeyed.

Jaina didn't twitch a muscle.

"I will not repeat myself, Jaina Solo."

Jaina remained unmoving. The Fosh looked down at her with something that coming from another being might have been pity. "This is why you are unworthy, Jaina Solo. You abandon your goals so easily, preferring instead to lie helplessly on the ground." She gave a strange laugh. "Your twin would be proud of you."

Jaina flinched, a flash of rage burning across her face. Vergere took a step closer. With surprising strength and speed that Jaina wouldn't have expected from her, the former Jedi Knight pulled Jaina up off of the ground and flung her sharply back against the wall where she slumped into something that approximated a standing position.

"From now on, you will do what I say."

Jaina met Vergere's alien eyes blankly. "Why?"

"Because you must become worthy. It is your destiny." Jaina didn't respond. "Your destiny cannot be denied. You have far more to do than die at the hands of the Tsavong Lah."

A flicker of interest shown in her eyes for a moment. It was the first time that Jaina had shown any outward signs of interest in what was happening to her. But then the brief spark of interest was gone, and Jaina stared back at her with defiance, clearly visible in her features.

Vergere wasn't upset by Jaina's unresponsiveness to what she had to say. Instead a slight knowing smile flickered across her face. "Very well, Jaina Solo. If you will not listen to me, then perhaps there is still more that the Embrace of Pain has to teach you. Pain is not punishment. Pain is life. Do not fight against it. Accept what it has to teach you."

The Fosh walked away without a backwards glance as Yuuzhan Vong warriors walked past her into the room, lifting Jaina up casually and dragging her back towards the Embrace of Pain.

* * *

 

Jacen Solo lay on the med bunk, groggily returning to consciousness. Faces and light blurred together and voices swam in and out of his hearing. He struggled to find one steady thing in all of the confusion and found it a moment later. A single strong presence, muted by fear, grief and a hundred emotions that many people didn't even believed she possessed, held together only by a determination that she would not leave her friend.

Slowly, focusing on his constant, Jacen began to pull himself back to consciousness. It was a tedious process that seemed to drag out into forever, but he remained focused and patient. Gradually scattered words became sentences and then conversations. Flashes of light and color transformed into faces and med droids.

"Mom." It was a croaked whisper barely loud enough to be heard, but it caught Leia and Tenel Ka's attention immediately.

With two quick steps Leia had moved from the chair that she was sitting in to stand beside her son. She sat down on the side of his med bunk quickly and scooped his larger, rough hand up into two of hers, cradling it tightly to her chest.

"Jacen..." She exhaled the word in a breath of desperate relief.

He tried to reassure her, but couldn't seem to make his lips move. He watched in frustration as Tenel Ka stood beside his mother for a moment, looking down at him, with a strange combination of emotions flickering across her usually unreadable face. She met his eyes suddenly and for an instant he felt an almost electric connection flare between them in the Force. In an instant, it was gone as suddenly as it had come, so suddenly that Jacen wondered for a moment if he had imagined it.

"I must go," Tenel Ka spoke abruptly. She addressed her next words to Leia, but never took her eyes off of Jacen. "I will inform Captain Solo that Jacen is awake. While I am on Hapes, there are matters that I must attend to." She spun sharply on her heel, the dark blue cloak that fitted over her Dathomirian armor whirling behind her as the sound of her boots clicking against the stone floor faded as she walked quickly away.

He stared after her, until he felt a warm, wet drop of liquid on his arm. His gaze turned immediately to find tears spilling down Leia's face. Jacen swallowed and concentrated, forcing his muscles to work. "I'm okay, Mom."

The words seemed so inadequate. What could he say to her? He could never bring back her youngest child or her only daughter. He reached out towards her clumsily with the Force, offering her the only support that he could and the only words that he could find. "I'm sorry." The words were torn out of him, and filled with anguish. He could feel the tears began to stream down his own cheeks, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I couldn't save either of them."

Leia seemed to crumple in front of his eyes, sinking back into herself. Jacen hated himself for it, in an instant, and hated that there was nothing that he could do to make it better.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Han's loud almost cheerful voice, echoed sharply off of the walls, suddenly sounding harsh against the painful silence of the room. For an instant, Han stood in the doorway, frozen by the scene before him. Then the moment was broken and he stepped quickly inside and stepped to Leia's side, wrapping and arm around tightly around her shoulders. "Hey, son," he said as he caught sight of Jacen and realized that he was still awake. A rare flash of sentiment appeared on his father's face and he reached a hand down to rest on Jacen's shoulder. "You're looking better, kid."

Han's smile tightened into a thin line and he bent his head down to lean over Leia's shoulder. Jacen couldn't here what he said as he whispered softly into Leia's ear, but he could see his mother's reaction. Her anguish seemed to be somewhat assuaged by her husband's presence and her back straightened almost imperceptibly. Silence reined as no one was sure what to say.

After taking a deep breath, Leia was the first to break the silence. One of her hands left Jacen's, dropping to her side and immediately was engulfed in Han's supportive grip. "Anakin chose to follow the will of the Force," she said, her voice shaky, "What happened to him was not your fault, and your sister," her voice grew so soft that Jacen could barely hear her. "Your sister is not gone. Jaina is strong, but there is nothing we can do to help her now."

The wave of shock that rolled off of Jacen at his mother's words was almost tangible.

* * *

 

Jagged Fel climbed out of his clawcraft, the rays of the Hapan sun shining brightly off of the tight angels of his clawcraft and paused. There was a strange sense of sadness within him that had been following him for days, since he had briefly spoken with his father before journeying to Hapes. His father's words still echoed in his mind, telling him of Leia Solo's valiant exhortation to continue fighting and mentioning in the casual way of imparting facts, that one of her sons—the youngest—was dead and that her daughter was also feared dead.

Hearing that Jaina Solo was presumed dead had shaken Jag far more than he had expected. She was an excellent pilot, certainly, but he had seen pilots die before, pilots that he knew far better than he knew her, and still something within him was saddened to hear about her.

Jag dropped the remaining foot to the ground and then straightened sharply as he saw the official approaching him across the small landing field. He pushed the thoughts aside, and pulled his helmet off of his head. Taking a deep breath, he snapped to attention as he prepared to meet the official. He didn't have time to dwell on odd inconsistencies at the moment. He had to prove to his father that the Chiss must join this war. That was his purpose and that was what he must focus on.


	4. Sideshows

Tenel Ka walked slowly through the halls of the Hapan palace. Her face showed none of the emotions that were raging inside her. This mission had taken its toll on her just as much as it had one her friends. Jaina was one of the two closest friends that she'd ever had, and she had been friends with all of the Jedi on that mission- those that had come back and those that hadn't. It had changed many things, their mission to Myrkr. She had felt the change in the Force. She didn't know what it meant, but it was definitely something important. It had also made her fear all the more vivid when she had seen Jacen fall.

She had been so afraid that Jacen Solo, her best friend in the galaxy, would not get back up. And Jacen hadn't gotten back up. They had been forced to wait for thirteen gut wrenching hours before the Hapan medical technicians could diagnose Jacen's condition. He had been experiencing the after effects of his voxyn-inflicted wounds.

She had spent the next few days at his side with his parents, never leaving even as they stayed together or sat with him in shifts. But once he had woken up, Tenel Ka hadn't been able to face him. She felt the momentary and immediate connection that had flared between them for an instant. It had almost frightened her and had definitely shaken her. Her feelings for Jacen were more than just friendly. She had felt that way for years, but it was one of the few times that she had almost let her feelings show so blatantly. Jacen was oblivious to her and to her feelings for him. He had been for years. At first it had hurt that he didn't see her that way, but slowly Tenel Ka had come to accept it, taking comfort in their friendship as it was.

"Princess Tenel Ka." The male courtier startled her from her thoughts and made her pause in her walk as he hastily knelt before her. Still looking carefully at the ground, the young man waited for her to acknowledge him.

"Rise," she said quickly. This was yet another part of Hapan culture that she hated. The handsome young man rose quickly as she had commanded, but still didn't raise his eyes to meet her gaze. "You have a message for me," she questioned, taking a guess at the nature of his errand.

"Yes, Princess. Prince Isolder bade me to request that you join him. There is someone that he wishes you to meet."

Tenel Ka nodded curtly. "Thank you for relaying this message." Tenel Ka turned away from the man and began to slowly walk towards the room where she knew her father would be waiting. It wasn't unusual for one of her parents to request her presence when they greeted an arriving dignitary of some other high level visitor, she was, after all, the crown princess of Hapes. But she was leery of this meeting. Her parents had always reluctantly accepted her decision to follow the path of the Jedi rather than that of a planetary ruler, but they had been trying to force her to take more of a role in the Hapan government of late. Her mother's recent miscarriage and illness had frightened her parents and dashed many of their hopes for producing another heir for Hapes.

Since then, they had slowly been involving her more and more, trying to tie her more closely to Hapes. They had even begun o suggest that perhaps it was time for her to get married. She had balked at the suggestion, the idea of marrying for gain rather than love familiar but distasteful to her. She simply hoped this meeting with her father had nothing to do with parading a suitor by her.

Tenel Ka picked up her pace as she neared the entrance to the room where her father waited. If there was one thing she had learned how to do, it was make a royal entrance. The two female guards that stood outside the closed entrance scrambled to get the door open before she strode through the doorway.

She stopped in front of her father, taking in the presence of the young man standing beside her him. The man looked as if he was about her own age and he wore a formal black military uniform from a military service that she didn't recognize. It certainly wasn't a part of any branch of the Hapan military.

Tenel Ka nodded in her father's direction, bowing ever so slightly to him. "You wanted to see me, Father?" She asked him formally.

"Yes, I did." He held an arm out to her, gesturing for her to come stand beside him. She complied, taking her familiar place beside him. Isolder gestured to the man standing with him. "This is Colonel Jagged Fel of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet. Colonel, this is my daughter, crown Princess Tenel Ka." He didn't give them a chance to exchange pleasantries. "Colonel Fel is here on the behalf of his government. His mission is to observe the Yuuzhan Vong, their behavior, their strategy and the way that they are dealt back. He is then to report all of this back to his superiors. He has also volunteered to work with and aid the Hapan defense forces while he and his squadron are here. I would like for you to be in charge of finding the best place for Colonel Fel and his squadron."

"Certainly," she said, her mind already mentally searching through what she knew of the forces that currently defended Hapes and considering where he could be best used. "Colonel Fel, if you would come with me, I'll see to the placement of your squadron."

Jag bent his head in a small, curt bow. "Thank you, Princess."

Tenel Ka led him out of the room, walking down the corridor beside him in silence. It was the flaw that Ta Chume had always complained about the most concerning her. She refused to make small talk. Glancing beside her, Tenel Ka noticed that the Colonel seemed to be ill at ease walking beside her. For a moment, she considered asking him what was bothering him.

Before she could make her decision, he broke the silence. "I had heard that you were a Jedi Knight."

Tenel Ka's hand dropped to the lightsaber that hung concealed from her waist. "You were correctly informed."

He walked stiffly beside her for a moment more in silence. "I would like to offer you my condolences then, on the loss of Anakin and Jaina Solo. Jaina was an excellent pilot and a very intriguing person."

Tenel Ka froze at the unexpected mention of her deceased friends and then looked over at the Colonel with increased interest. "Thank you," she said formally, and then asked, "You knew Jaina?"

"I made her acquaintance shortly before the Battle of Ithor. There I had the pleasure of speaking to her again and flying with her. I would have liked to gotten to know her better."

Tenel Ka nodded, accepting his words in silence. She thought back to the last time that she had seen Jaina and couldn't find anything to say to Jagged Fel. The effects of the war spared nothing and no one.


	5. Glimpses of Horror

Jaina Solo stood on the green plains of world not marked by harsh unnatural structures, but instead of calming her, the soothing view only seemed to send a rolling wave of dissent through her. She glanced right and left, out across the rolling plains. She glanced back and suddenly there was Anakin standing silently before her.

His icy blue eyes glittered with harsh accusation as he stared at her. "You failed me, Jaina, and he killed me. Will you fail me again?" Anakin's gaze burned into her and then slid past her, focusing on something behind her.

Jaina followed his gaze and turned. Leia stood there before her, a blaster holstered on her right hip and her lightsaber dangling from a belt over her left hip, and stared at her with an expression of shock.

"Jaina?" Leia asked, disbelief and wonderment warring in her voice. Before Jaina could move or think, she was suddenly hurtled onto the ground, her lower back erupting into pain.

Leia was screaming and there was blood. Jaina could feel it trickling down her sides. The blood was her own. She reached her arm back behind her with surreal calm, and found the amphistaff that had hit her like a spear. Then her world changed in an instant, doubling her disorientation.

Jaina Solo jerked to a sitting position, looking around wildly. Even from a sitting position, she collapsed onto the ground in front of her, pain splintering through every part of her body.

Vergere crouched oddly behind her, one of her hands resting on Jaina's lower back. "Examine this lesson carefully, little one. Pain comes in all forms, from within and without. You must learn to accept what the pain can teach you. For every person it is a unique lesson, if truly learned. Only once you have begun to understand what pain has to teach you, can you learn about death." She rose and let a clawed finger brush over the top of Jaina's head, almost in a gesture of tenderness. "Learn quickly, little one. Your destiny awaits you impatiently."

* * *

Han Solo lay in the bed he was sharing with his wife. He could feel Leia laying next to him in the bed. Her presence was comforting to him even as his own personal demons kept him from relaxing into a dreamless sleep. He resisted the urge to toss and turn, knowing that it would disturb Leia. This was the first night that she'd had a chance to really sleep. She had spent the past several nights in a steadfast attendance at Jacen's bedside.

Leia groaned in her sleep and Han tensed beside her. She groaned again this time sounding more distressed. Han rolled over on his side towards her and caught her hand in his, holding it reassuringly. He gently stroked her forehead with his other hand. "It's okay, Leia."

He continued to hold her and tried to soothe her. For a moment she seemed to calm and Han thought that it had worked. Then she jerked up out of his embrace and a scream tore from her throat. "Jaina!"

* * *

 

Jacen Solo paused at the exit to the Hapan medical facilities. It was late at night and the halls of the palace were deserted. He glanced around the corridor but saw nothing that could help guide him to his destination. He had been brought to the medcenter unconscious and now had no idea how to reach the quarters where his parents were staying.

Jacen grimaced, and considered for a moment heading back to the medcenter or commming his parents, but discarded both ideas. He'd had more than enough of the medcenter in the last few days and he was reluctant to comm. his parents. They were likely already sleeping and besides, Jacen wasn't sure if he could handle seeing that same heartbreaking look in his mother's eyes again.

So Jacen just walked, letting his feet carry him through the palace as they would. He finally stopped to take in his surroundings when he found himself outside the palace walking in the midst of a water garden.

The gardens looked so eerily still and were thick with silence. They seemed so unbearably empty. Jacen looked slowly down into the water and in the moonlight saw nothingness reflected back to him in his own eyes. Without Jaina and Anakin, he was nothing, no one. Slowly he reached his mind out into the water garden, feeling the flow of the Force there and realizing the fallacy of the garden's apparent emptiness. There was so much more there below the surface.

Then with a swift surge, Jacen sent his mind rapidly outward, searching for some connection that would show him that the galaxy's emptiness for him was just a fallacy like the water gardens. There was nothing. Nothing answered his desperate probing search. Nothing could. Jaina and Anakin were both gone.

"Jacen?" Tenel Ka's voice broke the thick silence.

Tenel Ka took a step forward and then she hesitated. It surprised Jacen more than he thought he could be surprised anymore. She opened her mouth to speak, clearly choosing her words carefully.

"I felt y-" She shook her head in aggravation and started again. "When were you released from the medcenter?"

Jacen shrugged. He had no idea how long he had been walking or how long he had been standing there.

Tenel Ka nodded as if he had truly answered her question. Neither one of them spoke again. Tenel Ka glided slowly down towards him, her boots making no noise as they touched the ground.

Jacen had to turn, putting his back to the water garden as Tenel Ka settled onto a seat on a small stone bench. He stood, watching her for a moment, staring at her openly and with the same numbness that had been his companion all night. But this was different. Something seemed to be drawing him towards her and he couldn't resist. Slowly he took several steps forward and then dropped onto the bench beside her.

They sat together for a moment, at a loss for words, and then Tenel Ka slowly reached up and brushed his cheek with the back of her fingers in a tender gesture. "Dear Jacen, I wish I could take all of your pain away."

He didn't know how to reply. He couldn't answer her, but he was still being drawn towards her. Jacen leaned slower to her without realizing it. Tenel Ka remained where she was as he leaned closer.

"Jacen?" She made his name into a soft question. They were so close that she could feel her lips brush against his as she spoke.

He didn't answer her question and he didn't increase the distance between them. Just as their lips were about to touch, Jacen jerked back, and screamed, "Mom!"


	6. Myriad of Aftermath

Leia was still sitting in bed, too shocked to speak or move when Jacen bolted through the door to his parents' quarters.

"Mom," he called out quickly.

"In here, Son," Han responded without surprise. Over the years he had gotten used to the Force connection between the other members of his family.

Jacen entered their bedroom more slowly and walked cautiously over to Leia's side of the bed. He knelt down beside Leia and asked more quietly this time, "Mom?"

"Jacen," she responded shakily and reached a hand out to him. Her hand clutched his arm tightly, as if she were afraid to let go. "Oh, Jacen," she murmured, "I saw her. I saw Jaina."

One of Han's long arms encircled her from behind. "It's okay, Princess. It was just a dream."

"No," she shook her head adamantly. "It was more than a dream, Han. Jaina was there in the dream with me. It was real."

Han and Jacen's eyes met in a quick worried glance over Leia's shoulder.

"What happened in your dream, Mom?" Jacen asked quietly.

"It wasn't a dream!" She snapped sharply and then paused, exhaling slowly. "She was there in front of me and she just stood there for a moment, but I could feel her, Jacen. I could sense her presence through the Force and then..." she hesitated, flashing back on the nightmarish vision. "Then an amphistaff hit her in the back and I woke up. But it was real, Jacen! I could feel her there with me. She is alive!"

"It's okay, Sweetheart. I believe you." Han leaned forward and gently kissed the top of her head. With enthusiasm that he couldn't quite make seem unforced, Han smiled and let out a gruff chuckle. "This is great news, Sweetheart," he said, flashing her a weak Solo grin. "It calls for a celebration."

Jacen managed to muster up a smile for his mother as she turned back to Han. Jacen didn't speak, but he had his doubts about what she had said. He had felt Jaina's absence from the Force with painful clarity. It was a constant gaping wound in the fore front of his perceptions. Still he kept his doubts about what Leia believed carefully hidden in the depths of his mind. He couldn't bring himself to destroy his parents' hope for a second time.

As his parents began to celebrate, Jacen stood up quietly and began to slip out of the room. He glanced back at them as the door slid open to let him out and saw Leia wrapped tightly in Han's arms.

His Jedi enhanced senses heard her whisper, "Thank you," to Han, as he stepped out the door. He almost collapsed against the wall.

"Jacen."

He glanced up and to his surprise saw Tenel Ka standing against the opposite wall of the corridor.

"You waited," was all that he could manage to say. His surprise was evident.

"Of course, friend Jacen."

He could feel her concern as they stepped away from their walls and fell in step as they walked slowly down the corridor.

"Is your mother okay?"

Jacen nodded distractedly. "She had a dream or vision of Jaina. She believes that Jaina's alive," he confided.

"You don't trust her vision."

"I don't know that it was a vision," Jacen exploded. "I feel..." He shuddered. "I have never felt so completely alone," he confessed. "And her presence is completely gone from the Force like Anakin's." He shook his head. "I wish it was true. I wish she was still alive, but there is no chance."

"She has lost two of her children. Perhaps she needs to have hope in something." Tenel Ka offered into the silence.

Jacen didn't comment. A moment later, Tenel Ka's comm. link started to chirp frantically. Jacen took a step away from her to allow her to speak with whoever had commed her in private.

As she quickly finished the conversation and clicked off her comm. link, she said, "My parents have summed me to meet with the immediately. I have to go."

Jacen nodded, "I'll see you again later then."

She hesitated, "Do you have someplace to be, friend Jacen?"

Jacen though and then shook his head. "No, I'll probably just try to find a way to help out in the Refugee camp."

"Not at this early hour of the day. Perhaps you could come with me? It is always helpful to have another perspective on a situation."

Jacen grimaced. His perspective- his reticence- had been what had gotten Anakin killed.

"I-"

Tenel Ka seemed to sense his reluctance and added, "Please, friend Jacen."

There was a hint of something in Tenel Ka's voice that caught his attention immediately. She rarely asked for something once, much less twice.

"Okay."

She smiled at him. "Thank you."

* * *

 

As they quickly approached the doorway that was surrounded by a double row of guards, Tenel Ka slid her arm formally through his. Jacen tried not to look surprised at her action, as the lead guard stepped out to meet them. They walked right up to the woman and waited.

The guard didn't quite meet Tenel Ka's eyes, but her gaze wasn't as downcast as those of the other Hapan courtiers that Jacen had encountered.

"Your escort will have to wait with us, Princess Tenel Ka. Your parents' requested that  _you_ meet with them."

"I am here," Tenel Ka stated blandly, ignoring the other woman's implication, "And he is with me."

"Princess-"

Tenel Ka took an abrupt step forward, cutting the guard off. "Fact, Natlia, I am the Princess and you cannot bar me or Jacen from this room. Now let us pass."

"Tenel Ka," Jacen started to volunteer to leave, but a sharp half-glance from her stopped him. This was a larger issue than just his presence.

The guard stepped slowly back and the guards in the rear opened the wide doors. Together he and Tenel Ka stepped into the room without a backwards glance.

In the far corner of the room, a man and a woman stood, studying an active holodisplay. The man was tall, handsome and well built. Jacen immediately noticed how stiffly the two stood and the distance between that separated them, even as the woman leaned heavily on the man's arm.

Tenel Ka slid her arm out of his and walked towards them with Jacen just a step behind her.

"You summoned me, Mother?"

That was when the couple noticed them. The woman was the first to face them.

"I did, Daughter," Teneniel Djo said slowly. She didn't even acknowledge Jacen's presence as she focused solely on Tenel Ka. "Hapes is under attack now," she said bluntly, "And I cannot lead. You must take charge of Hapes' military forces, Tenel Ka."

"What about Father? Why can't he lead? He has more tactical knowledge and experience in leading the Hapan military." Her voice was coolly analytical, not complaining, but searching for an answer that wasn't immediately evident to her.

"Because our people need to see you leading our forces. They need to know that there is a strong heir to the Hapan throne. You must show them that."

Tenel Ka nodded, not bothering to interject that she didn't want to be the heir to the Hapan throne. Duty came before personal desires. That was part of the Jedi way and it was something that she could easily understand. She glanced over to meet her father's eyes as she asked, "Fact?"

Her mother responded dully, "Fact." There were certain fates that a mother should not have to consign her daughter to.


	7. Battles

Jacen was not a pilot- not as Jaina or Anakin had been- but Skywalker and Solo blood did flow through his veins and so he had volunteered to fly with a squadron of Hapan fighters, offering to be Tenel Ka's eyes and ears in the midst of the battle. At the moment, however, Jacen was suffering from exhaustion and sensory overload. The adrenaline pumping through his veins was keeping him from dropping to the ground and keeping him from feeling anything at all- the way that his hands ached from griping the steering column or how his ears rang from the loud chaotic yells of battle chatter now emphasized by the near absolute silence.

The battle had lasted far too long for the small size of the Yuuzhan Vong and Peace Brigade forces that they had faced. They had stopped the Yuuzhan Vong forces from inflicting more damage on Hapes itself or any of its inhabited moons, but what they had achieved could hardly be called a success.

Tenel Ka was waiting for him as he stepped forward as he climbed slowly out of his cockpit. Concern for him was clearly evident in her eyes.

"Friend Jacen, are you injured?"

He shook his head slowly. "No." His expression was grim. "So much death. The Force is consumed by it. I can't sense anything else."

"I'm sorry, friend Jacen. I should not have asked for your help."

"No," he replied quickly and definitely, "I'm fine. I volunteered to fly that mission and I have a lot to report."

A brief smile of relief flickered over her face. "Thank you, friend Jacen. I am interested in hearing your insights into this situation."

Together they slowly began to walk away from the palace's large hangar bay and towards the large corridors that led into the heart of the Hapan palace.

"Princess Tenel Ka," a Hapan captain bowed quickly in front of her and then held out a datapad. "Here is the preliminary report from the battle. The full report will be ready for you within the hour, Princess."

"Thank you, Captain," she replied curtly, taking the report from him. She glanced briefly down at the report and then back at the captain. "Please alert all of my commanders to report to me in person in two hours."

"But, Princess, the usual protocol allows-"

Tenel Ka took a step closer to him and despite the fact that the man towered over her, the look in her grey eyes was enough to silence him. "I do not care about protocol, Captain, I care about Hapes. All commanders will report to me in two hours unless they are dealing with emergencies. Understood?"

Jacen could see the sullen look in the Captain's eyes and he prepared himself to deal with the man if he should get out of control, but when he responded to Tenel Ka, the captain's voice was clear and firm. "Understood, Princess."

She stared at him for a moment longer and Jacen could sense that Tenel Ka wanted to add some else, but she simply stepped past him without another word.

Once they were out of the man's hearing, Jacen heard Tenel Ka let out a disgusted sigh.

"He is working for my second cousin, Kallia. She hopes that my family will either be killed or disgraced by this war so that she can gain power. Kallia doesn't care if Hapes is destroyed along the way as long as she achieves her goal."

"One more reason to stop the Yuuzhan Vong here and now."

Tenel Ka nodded, "Fact."

"We can't stop the Vong the way we fought them today, though. We had an even or superior number of forces and we almost didn't stop them. If we keep achieving victories like this we will have nothing left."

Tenel Ka nodded grimly, not shying away from the harsh fact before adding one of her own. "We also cannot match the number of the Yuuzhan Vong forces if we are forced into many more large scale battles."

They walked together, silent for a moment as they both drifted deep in to thought.

"If we can't win against the Vong with superior force, we need tactics that will put the odds in our favor."

"Indeed," Tenel Ka paused, considering what she was thinking about, and then added, "Come my friend, we have much work to do before this meeting begins."

* * *

 

Nearly two hours later, the table in front of Jacen was scattered with data cards that were filled with every piece of knowledge about the Yuuzhan Vong that they had been able to locate. Some of it was relevant, some of it appeared to be irrelevant, but almost all of it had been at least casually glanced at by either Jacen or Tenel Ka as they struggled to find any piece of knowledge that could help them.

Now they were brainstorming, Tenel Ka pacing back and forth across the room as they threw ideas around.

"It will not work," she snapped, her emotions creeping into her voice.

Jacen stood up. He had been sensing her emotions rising as the time of the meeting grew closer. Her emotions had been running very close to the surface for hours now, an unusual occurrence for Tenel Ka.

Now Jacen directly into Tenel Ka's path and stopped. As she tried to step around him, he reached out to grab her forearms to stop her, ignoring the fact that Tenel Ka could easily send him crashing to the ground with one twist of her wrist.

There was a brief moment of awkwardness as his hand clasped around her forearm and there was no where for his other hand to go. Most people would have jerked away from her then, treating her differently then if she were any other human, with two arms instead of one.

Instead Jacen dropped his hand to her waist. There was another moment of awkwardness and then Jacen said with as much normality as he could muster, "Perhaps it won't work, but maybe someone else can modify the idea to something that will work."

Tenel Ka had looked annoyed as he had sharply cut off her pacing, but she seemed to have calmed down slightly as he spoke.

"We've made a good start here, Tenel Ka. You have something to tell your commanders about and plans and tactics that they can implement immediately. There are many other capable officers here that can come up with variations and suggestions based on the new and revised tactics that we're proposing."

"I know," she replied quickly, her voice still sharp and strained, "But the fate of Hapes rests on this, Jacen. We cannot survive as we are, and I do not know if we can change fast enough. This is most important than anything that I have ever done and I have never done anything like this before. I cannot fail." There was no self-pity in her voice, just fear of failing her people.

Jacen tried not to flinch at the memory of his own failure.

_"The impostor must have opened an escape tunnel." It no longer hurt to speak, but his aura had gone from faint to bright. His cells were burning like fire_

_Jacen sensed it in an instant and felt the flicker of hope and doubt warring within him. He felt the fear rising rapidly up in him-fear for Anakin._

_"Jacen, you're in charge. Take everyone and go after her."_

_Jaina's surprise, resentment and her own fear flared brightly in the back of his mind. His own surprise was there and then his pain and doubt._

He had failed Anakin's trust and the price that he had paid for his failure had been higher than he could ever have imagined. His eyes caught Tenel Ka's clear gray gaze and he forced himself to breathe in the calm of the Force over his own suddenly tumultuous emotions.

This wasn't about his failures. This was about Tenel Ka and he had placed his faith in her on numerous missions without hesitation.

"You won't fail," he said firmly. He hesitated, sensing that she still wasn't convinced and added, "You know, Jaina once told me," he swallowed tightly, barely able to speak his twin's name.

Tenel Ka reached up quickly, grasping his arm in a gesture of comfort.

He managed a feeble smile for her and continued, "Jaina told me that the only way not to let the big picture overwhelm me was to focus on what was in front of me at the moment. It was good advice." He trailed off, suddenly uncertain of what he was saying.

"Indeed," Tenel Ka's voice was low and quiet. He hardly felt her hand leave his arm and reach up to caress his cheek. "It is good advice," she murmured, just before her lips brushed softly against his in a sweet kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Quotes in the text are attributable to Star by Star and Troy Denning.


End file.
